Vegetable Arrangements
Spring is not only a time of rebirth and renewal; it is the best time of the year to try something completely new! Last spring while I was strolling through my favorite farmers market, I conceived an idea of creating arrangements with vegetables. Vegetable bouquets as décor! The incredible abundance of colorful produce, rich textures, and abnormal shapes sparked the idea that became an exiting project I created for Country Gardens magazine. Suddenly my habitual trips to the farmers market became a totally new visual and creative experience as I explored the idea of vegetables as flowers.
I would like to thank Nancy Stuckwich of Silver Magpies for allowing me to use her beautiful collection of vintage silver. To browse and buy vintage silver, check out her website
http://www.silvermagpies.com/vintage-silver-blog/
Spring is not only a time of rebirth and renewal; it is the best time of the year to try something completely new! Last spring while I was strolling through my favorite farmers market, I conceived an idea of creating arrangements with vegetables. Vegetable bouquets as décor! The incredible abundance of colorful produce, rich textures, and abnormal shapes sparked the idea that became an exiting project I created for Country Gardens magazine. Suddenly my habitual trips to the farmers market became a totally new visual and creative experience as I explored the idea of vegetables as flowers.
My
goal was to create a look of rustic elegance using vessels of silver plate and
sterling. The contrast between the organic earthy vegetables against the formal
polished or tarnished silver is very sexy. The champagne bucket makes for an
impressive base for a burst of Swiss chars, Asian eggplants, and collard and
turnip leaves. Since eggplants tend to be heavy, just sticking them into your
bucket or vase will not do the trick. In order to secure the eggplants or any
heavy vegetable, first fill the container with wet floral oasis and add water.
Then insert wooden shish kabob skewers at the base of the vegetable and push
into the oasis for a bouquet that will stay in place.
While the farmers market is a great source for
natural produce, there are other outlets that can satisfy your wallet and your
garden. Not only are vegetable gardens a great way to ensure your food is fresh,
but it is also a great way to get your family involved and teach your kids
about healthy food options. While roaming your vegetable garden, do not pass
over the bug eaten leaves or the weeds and wildflowers that grow along the edge
of your garden. They reveal all the cycles of life that will make your
arrangement real, natural and beautiful. The arrangement above is built around
a small head of cabbage that was still attached to its long stalk. I designed
this bouquet with the wild, chaotic feeling that mimics the August garden it
came from.
Seeing
bundles of radishes in big piles of vast shades made my jaw drop. The stunning
degrees of pinks, purples, reds and white reminded me of a bouquet of roses
which inspired this simple yet breathtaking idea. Using rubber bands, wrap
together bundles of differently shaded radishes and their leaves. I used three
or four bundles to fill the container above. Make sure to keep the stalks long
so they are able to reach the water in the pitcher!
Instead of using silver to house your new vegetable arrangements,
trying using large glass vases. Using a glass vase, like the one seen above,
try inverting the vegetables, displaying both the vegetable and it’s
stalk. Fill the vase with enough water to complete cover the carrot and a
little of the stem. I also used tomatoes and dill to add extra height and a
contrastive look. By submerging the carrots in water, they are able to absorb
the water which keeps them alive for a substantial time. The beautiful shades
of green contrasting with the bright orange of the carrots give this
arrangement a completely organic, elegant, and simple appearance.